Jez Fielding and James MacKenzie—Big Mac to his mates—are in their second year at uni. After partying too hard last year, they make a pact to rein themselves in. While their housemates are out drinking every weekend, Jez and Mac stay in to save cash and focus on their studies.

When Jez suggests watching some porn together, he isn’t expecting Mac to agree to it. One thing leads to another, and soon their arrangement becomes hands-on rather than hands-off. But falling for your straight friend can only end badly, unless there’s a chance he might feel the same.

Product description

Product Description

Jez Fielding and James MacKenzie—Big Mac to his mates—are in their second year at uni. After partying too hard last year, they make a pact to rein themselves in. While their housemates are out drinking every weekend, Jez and Mac stay in to save cash and focus on their studies.

When Jez suggests watching some porn together, he isn’t expecting Mac to agree to it. One thing leads to another, and soon their arrangement becomes hands-on rather than hands-off. But falling for your straight friend can only end badly, unless there’s a chance he might feel the same.

Length: 33,000 words

About the Author

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story-just to see if he could-and found it rather addictive. He hasn't stopped writing since. Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. Jay has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and he also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her.

Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon.com

4.0 out of 5 starsNorthcote follows a standard recipe and cooks a great dish

29 June 2015 - Published on Amazon.com

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

If you're going to work with well-trod material, get it right, because comparisons will be inevitable. I feel like I've read this trope or formula before - UK uni GFY roommates who explore a lot without really verbalizing anything and ultimately overcome a misunderstanding to find their HEA.

However, the flow and pacing in this story far surpasses the others I've read. Even though the progression of events felt predictable at time, this was more than offset by how Jez remained effective as the singular POV. His doubts and regrets were expressed sincerely without devolving into unnecessary angst.

Balanced, cleanly edited, and just enough change of scenes to keep the narrow focus on housemates from feeling monotonous. The singular time that a key moment felt glossed over was Northcote's decision for Jez to recount the discussion of whether to tell their respective parents as a brief summary in the exposition.

As the first long-form narrative of hers I've read since enjoying her short story, Top Me Maybe?, this continues to show her talent and encourages me to read others. Watch out, Amy Jo Cousins and Maris Black, Northcote can write about college life and hijinks too!

Two close friends at university find themselves foregoing nights out clubbing or at the pub – one because of incurring too much debt the previous year from partying and the other because he needs to improve his grades for the same reason. Time spent hanging out at home on the weekends creates the perfect scenario to grow their connection – first as friends, and then as lovers. When emotions are added to the mix, the sex becomes more than simply a physical act, especially when cuddling evolves into all-nighters. Will they reach beyond the sex and admit it’s more than that, especially when their “dirty secret” is exposed?

It’s easy to get drawn up into Jez’s and Mac’s blossoming relationship, and their genuine affection for one another is nothing short of endearing. I loved how Mac turned out to be more into things than what the reader was led to believe based on Jez’s POV – Mac was willing to express his true feelings when it mattered. The tenderness they share makes my heart glow. As usual, I’m drawn in by author Jay Northcote’s writing style: comforting, relatable and realistic, and heartwarming – so well written that I hated for the story to end.

Jay Northcote's novella's are always a pleasant surprise to me.'Helping Hand' features Jez and 'Big Mac' while they are trying to make up for poor decisions made during their first year at Uni. Staying in to save money and brain cells, they end up in a 'one thing leads to another' kind of situation.

What happens now though? Here is where Jay Northcote excels. She is able to take just 97 printed pages to tell a lovely story about two young men discovering themselves and each other. Her writing is tight and her stories (including this one) begin and end just as they should.

Helping does kind of follow the gay-for-you trope, but honestly I do not feel that it is particularly far-fetched. Who are we to judge who another person loves, or doesn't?

It's a quick read and well worth your time. I have found myself thinking about it since I finished (and not just because I am writing a review). Even in these joyous days of gay rights and acceptance here in the US and elsewhere, we humans tend to judge ourselves on other people's terms not our own. Sometimes it takes a while for us to figure out what our own terms are! Jay does an excellent job of broaching this subject with her characters while still making the story about Jez and Big Mac.

5 flames for general hotness of content and 5 hearts for a very lovely story.

College Housemates Jez and Mac, spend a lot of time home together studying and trying to stay out of trouble and save money while the rest of their roommates go out to pubs. And either though neither of them are "gay" the more time they spend together, and the closer they get, one thing leads to another, and of course they end up in bed together, trying to fight their actual feelings for each other... This is a Sweet and Sexy shorter Novella. A great start to this Housemates series.Audio - It took me a few minutes to get used to the narrator, Mark Steadman's accent, but once I did it was all good. He did a great job getting me into this book, I enjoyed it and I look forward to his narration on the rest of the books in this series.

The plot was simple and cute and you didn't get the anxiety that longer more complicated plots give you cause the characters weren't too 'this can never work out/he doesn't feel the same way', and get in their own way of HEA. And there were plenty of sex scenes. And I liked the 'bro' personality of Jez and how he just rolled with everything. I wish we got Mac's perspective as well but still good with just Jez's. And Jay either has a good proofreader or he is just really good at it himself, cause nothing jumped out at me and usually short books like this do have a lot of spelling/grammar/name errors.